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I wasn’t surprised at the number of exotic cars parked in his large garage. He grabbed one key and opened a sleek red Ferrari.
I kept my eyes on the road to make sure we arrived safely since Tristan kept texting on his phone with one hand while the other controlled the wheel. Relief rolled over me when he parked the car in front of the restaurant.
It was a French restaurant, and we made our way in. Adrian and Karen waved at us when we entered. I put on a smile as we approached them. We took our seats in front of them. It was cold in here. I glanced around the bright room, which harbored expensive chandeliers and beautiful paintings of Paris.
“I love your hair, Chloe.” Karen’s voice drew my attention away from a couple grinning at each other.
“Thanks. It took forever for me to get it to look this good.”
“Tell me about it, and men have the guts to complain we take an eternity to get ready,” she said, and I laughed softly.
We could be friends, right?
“You look stunning,” I told her, and she smiled, mumbling, “Thanks.”
She was wearing a silk beige dress. Adrian was dressed in a two-piece suit. Everyone here was dressed in something stylish, except Tristan. Even the waiters and waitresses looked chic. He looked like someone had dragged him out of bed here. I was embarrassed for him.
“Hey.” Adrian beamed at me.
“Hey,” I whispered.
A waiter arrived and took our orders. It was hard to pronounce some of the dishes on the menu. The only foreign language I’d studied in high school was Spanish, and with Vina always mumbling curses and insults in Spanish, I was proud to say I knew every curse word and insult in Spanish.
“How are you feeling? Adrian told me what happened,” Karen asked.
He told her?My entire mental self facepalmed. Of course he had.
“I’m okay. Sorry about that day,” I apologized.
“It’s fine. Your health comes first.” She waved it off with a nice smile. I felt my body relax after I realized Adrian had lied to her about what really happened.
Adrian ordered an expensive red wine. Tristan made me drink water since we were in public because to everyone I was pregnant. I sipped it while we waited for our food to arrive. Karen was talking about her trip to Paris and the places she’d visited.
My phone vibrated, indicating a text. I took it out of my purse and checked it. It was a text from Vina, sharing a meme that had reminded her of me. We used to tag each other in funny posts on social media, but I had deactivated all my socials after the incident.
Adrian stood up from his seat with a nervous smile.What is he so nervous about?I watched as he moved to the other side, where Karen was sitting. He brought out a small black box and went on one knee. I gripped my phone tightly. Karen looked like she was having a hard time breathing, as she knew what was about to happen. He opened the box, and the diamond ring in the box caught everyone’s attention. She gasped and put a hand over her mouth.
“Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?” he said sweetly.
She nodded her head frantically.
She gave him her hand, and he put the ring on. She had tears in her eyes. People in the room applauded.
He just proposed in front of me?I gulped my water, wishing it were poison.Someone, just end me from my suffering.He’d invited me here to come and witness him propose to his girlfriend.
I forced a grin as I watched them kiss.Control yourself, Chloe.
It felt like someone was running a sword in and out of my heart. I reached for the wine bottle and got frustrated when I found it empty. I turned to look at Tristan. He was beaming at them. I grabbed his wine and finished it. He glanced at me, and I faked a smile.
“Help me take a picture.” Karen forced her phone into my hand.
I tried to look happy as I took the pictures. She made many poses with the ring.
I looked for an excuse to leave as she showed Adrian the pictures. I texted Vina and told her to call me—that way, I could give an excuse of leaving to answer the call and never return. Our food arrived, and my stomach craved the tasty food, but I had to leave. I wasn’t sure I could sit through the whole dinner without losing control.
Vina finally called. I flashed them a smile as I stood up.
“Sorry, I have to answer this.” I walked quickly out of the restaurant.
